Grapple



1931- H. c. BARBOUR ET AL 1,823,919

GRAPPLE Filed May 22, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 t INVENTORS 56mm 6'. flarawflay bf ZeI/ma/z 6 BY Oct. 27, 1931. H. c. BARQBOUR ET'AL 1,323,919

GRAPPLE Filed May 22.- 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS ATT RNEYJPatented Oct. 27, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE...

HOWARD armour. AND ROY manna/um, .OF 'LoRA'IN, OHIO, ASSIGNORS TO 'THETHEW SHOVEL COMPANY, or LORAIN, 01110, A CORPORATION 01 OHIO GRAPPLEApplication filed Kay 22,

Our invention relates toan improvement in grapples. It relates,particularly, to a grapple made up of a plurality of tapered bladeswhich, when open, form a means for gathering the material to acentralized point and then, upon closing form a means for graspingit'firmly whereby it may then be conveyed to any desired location.

Previous grapples of this type have been of such nature that, when. theblades were moved toward each other to grasp thematerial, the points ofthe blades have moved ingrasping and conveying relatively large piecesof material, such,'for instance, as logs,

but well adapted for other uses, wherein the grapple is so formed thatthe blades have a penetrating and raking action without lifting actionthroughout a greater portion of their movement into closed position.

' Another object of our invention is to provide a grapple so constructedthat the blades will have a penetrating action only in closing.

' :Still another object of our invention is to provide a grapple of theabove'typethat is relatively simple in construction and comprises aminimum number of rugged parts.

A further object of our invention is to provide a grapple of such naturethat the blades need-not necessarily be broughtto'full closed positionto hold certain materials satisfactorily.

Other objects of our invention maybe seen in the following descriptionand one embodiment thereof may be seen in the accompanying drawingswherein similar characters of reference designate corresponding partsand wherein 'F1g. 1 1s a side elevation showing a grapple constructed inaccordance with our invention.

1930. Serial No. 454,695.

' Fig. 2 is a sectional View taken on theline 22 of Fig. 1.

a Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on theline 33 of Fig. 1.

v Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic view showing the blades of the grapple inboth open and closed position. v i

Fig. 5 is a top plan view of the device shown in Fig. 1. I

In the drawings, we have shown agr apple which comprises an upper head 1to which is secured by a cable fasteningwedge2, or other suitable means,a hoisting cable 3 by means ,of which the grapple is, raised, lowered,or

Disposed radially about the outer periphery of this moved to any desiredposition.

upper head. are a plurality of depending. struts, or rods 4 which arepivotally mounted onthe head 1, and which support, at their lower ends,a plurality of tapered blades 5 by being pivotally connected to bladesupporting arms 6 as at 7.- As shown, theblades 5 are so shaped thatthere is an open space between the side edges of each pair of adjacentblades. However, the shape of the blades as to width is optional. I

The inner ends of the blade supporting arms 6 are each pivotallyconnected to a lower member or cross head 8 which is rigidly attachedtothe lower end of a frame'9, the pivot points being substantially abovethe pivotal connections 7 between the-blade supporting arms and thestruts 4 when the grapple is closed. A grapple'closing drum 10 is,rotatably mounted within" the frame, 9, as

shown in'gFigs. 1 and 2, by being rigidly mounted on a shaftll that isjournalled in bearings 12 in opposing sides of the frame 9.

.As shown inFig. 1, a guard 13 is disposed about the major portionof thedrum, and,

, as shown in Fig. 2, the uppermost end of the frame 9. is provided witha bumper element 14 that strikes against the under side'of the upperhead 1 and a cable guard 15 which prevents the cable22 from slipping offof. the drum 10.

Cam shaped spools 16 are rigidly mounted on opposing ends of, the shaft11 which extends outwardly from opposing sides of the frame 9 by meansof keys 17 adapted to fit within keyways 18 in the shaft and spools andthese cam shaped spools have the ends of chains 19 rigidly attachedthereto, as at 20, and pivotally attached to the head 1, as at 21, attheir opposing ends.

As shown in Fig. 1, a chain or cable 22 passes downwardly through thehead 1 around a guide sheave 23 and thence around the drum 10, the freeend ofthe cable being rigidly attached to the periphery of the drum inany well known manner.

In the operation of this device, when it is desired to cause the blades5 to separate to the full line position shown in Fig. 4, the cable 22 isreleased so that the frame 9 with its composite parts, which includesthe lower or cross head 8, will drop downwardly by its own weight,whereby the inner ends of the supporting arms 6 will be movedd0wnwardly, the arms rotated about their pivotal connection 7 with thestruts or rods 4, and the blades 5 will be moved outwardly to the fullline position as shown in the figure, the cable 22 winding up on thedrum 10 and the chains 19 unwinding from the cam shaped spools 16.

' Reversely, theblades being in open position, to cause convergence ofthe blades, upward force is exerted on the cable 22 whereby such cablewill be unwound from the drum 10, rotation of the drum 10 causingrotation of the cam shaped spools 16 and a winding up of the chain 19 onsuch spools, whereby the frame and composite parts, including the lowercross head 8 will be moved upwardly until the frame bumper 14 abutsagainst the lower surface of the head 1, at which time the blades willbe in closed position.

In accordance with our invention, the blades 5 are sodisposed relativelyto their supporting arms 6 that the angle between the blades and thesupporting arms is obtuse. That is, the pivot points 27 between theblade supporting arm 6 and the cross head 8, when the blades 5 are inclosed position, are above the centers of curvature of the blades 5which will produce obtuse angles at the intersection of lines drawnthrough the two pivot points of each supporting arm, indicated at 25,and

continuations of the lines of the curvature of theblades, as at 26. Thisis clearly shown by the angle A in Fig. 4:. With this construction, asshown in Fig. 4, movement of the points of the blades towards each otherin closing of the grapple will result in, first, a penetrating actionand then a raking movement of the blades. However, in closed position,-the points of the blades are in a substantially lower plane than thatwhich they 60- occupy in open position. Also, in accordance arms are sorounded on their interior surface with our invention, the bladesupporting that the material being raked inwardly by the convergingmovement of the blades will be rolled upwardly toward the top of thegrapple.

With such construction, numerous novel and advantageous features arise.One of these features arises from the fact that the angles between theblades and their supporting arms are obtuse. Thus a greater distancebetween open blade points is secured while, at the same time, theblades, on converging toward closed position, move with a penetratingand then a raking action relative to the material. Still anotheradvantage arises from the fact that the inner surfaces of the bladesupporting arms are rounded whereby it is possible to obtain a full loadof loose relatively large material at each operation of the grapple in acontra-distinction to previous types of grapples. A further advantageousfeature of the invention resides in the fact that we have provided agrapple wherein it is not necessary that the blades be brought to fullclosed position to hold certain thereto for making an operativeconnection with a grapple lifting means, a lower head movable relativeto said upper head and having means connected therewith for moving saidlower head towards and away from Said upper head to bring about aclosing and opening of said grapple, a plurality of struts pivotallyconnected to said upper head and depending downwardly therefrom, aplurality of curved blades, and blade supporting arms curved generallywith the same curvatureas' that of the blades pivotally connected tosaid lower head and to the lower ends of said struts, the angle betweena line drawn from the free point of each blade and the point ofconnection between the blade supporting arm and a. strut and a linedrawn through the pivotal points of the blade supporting arm being suchthat the free points of the blades are in a plane at a lower level whenin closed position than the plane they occupy in open po-' sition.

2. A device of the character described comprising an upper head,meansconnected thereto for making an operative connection with a grapplelifting means, a lower head movablerelative to said upper head andhaving means connected therewith for moving said lower head towards andaway from said upper head to bring about a closing and opening of saidgrapple, a plurality of struts pivotally connected to said upper headand depending downwardly therefrom, a plurality of curved blades, andblade supporting arms curved generally with the same curvature as thatof the blades pivotally connected to said lower head and to the lowerends of said struts, the angle between a line drawn from the free pointof each blade and the point of connection between theblade supportingarm and a strut and a line drawn through the pivotal points of the bladesupporting arm being such that the free points of the blades are in aplane at a lower level when in closed position than the plane theyoccupy in open position, and such that the lower head is insubstantially the same plane as thefree points of the blades when thegrapple is in open position.

3. A device of the character described comprising an upper head, meansconnected thereto for making an operative connection with a grapplelifting means, a lower head movable relative to said upper head andhaving means connected therewith for moving said lower head towards andaway from said upper head to bring about a closing and opening of saidgrapple, a plurality of struts pivotally connected to said upper headand depending downwardly therefrom, a plurality of curved blades, andblade supporting arms curved generally with the same curvature as thatof the blades pivotally connected to said lower end and to the lowerends of said struts, the angle between a line drawn from the free pointof each blade and the point of connection between the blade supportingarm and a strut and a line drawn through the pivotal points of the bladesupporting arm being such that the free points of the blades are in aplane at a lower level when in closed position than the plane theyoccupy in open position, and such that there will be no upward movementof the blade points until the horizontal center line of the lower headand the pivotal connections between the blade supporting arms and thestruts are in substantially the same horizontal plane.

4. A device of the character described comprising an upper head, meansconnected thereto for making an operative connection with a grapplelifting means, a lower head movable relative to said upper head andhaving means connected therewith for moving said lower head towards andaway from said upper head to bring about a closing and opening of saidgrapple, a plurality of struts pivotallv connected to said upper headand depending downwardly therefrom, a plurality of curved blades, andblade supporting arms curved generally with the same curvature as thatof the blades pivotally connected to said lower head and to the lowerends of said struts, the angle between a line drawn from the free pointof each blade and the point of connection between the blade supportingarm and a strut and a line drawn through the pivotal points of the bladesupporting arm being such that, in closing, the bladesmove with apenerating, then a raking, and then a lifting 5 action.

5. A device of the character described comprising an upper head, meansconnected thereto for making an operative connection with a grapplelifting means, a lower head movable relative to said upper head andhaving means connected therewith for moving said lower head towards andaway from said upper head to bring about a closing and opening of saidgrapple, a plurality of struts pivotally connected to said upper headand depending downwardly therefrom, a plurality of curved blades, andblade supportlng arms curved generally with the same curvature as thatof the blades pivotally connected to said lower head and to the lowerends of said struts, the angle between a line drawn from the free pointof each blade and the point of connection between the blade supportingarm and a strut and a line drawn through the p1votal points of the bladesupporting arm being such that the free points of the blades are in aplane at a lower level when in closed position than the plane theyoccupy in open position, and such that, in closing, the blades move witha penetrating, then a raking, and a then a lifting action.

In testimony whereof we hereby aflix our signatures. V

HOWARD C. BARBOUR. ROY H. ZEILMAN.

